2014 Chevrolet Silverado - Blood Lust

The World’s First Body-Dropped 2014 Silverado

Last year was the year of lifted trucks, lightbars, and the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado. It seemed that everybody was trying to be the first to have a 2014 Silverado “all done up.” Earlier this year we showed you the first fully customized version, which happened to be of the lifted variety. This Chevy, built and owned by Jake McKiddie from Choctaw, Oklahoma, was the very first body-dropped ’14 Silverado. Built in just over a month, Jake’s truck is one for the record books.

With a brand-new truck in his possession, Jake did what any normal new truck owner would do -- he immediately got to work body dropping it. He started by pulling everything off of the frame. This gave him a clean slate to start with. To bring the front end to the ground, Jake raised the upper control arm mounts, tapered the factory spindles, lowered the tie rods, and bolted on a set of Ekstensive lower control arms. In the rear, a trusty wishboned three-link was fabricated between the framerails and a C-notch was cut into the frame. While this might have been low enough for most of us, it still was not low enough for Jake’s liking. To absolutely slam this Chevy, he cut out the middle section of the frame and welded in 3x4-inch rectangular tubing. This ensured the rockers would rest on the ground when everything was put back together. To add height adjustability, a combination of Airlift and Firestone ’bags were bolted on to the corners. The next dilemma was the wheels. The only available options at the time were five-lug Chevy wheels, so rather than wait for a six-lug option, Jake converted the front hubs and rear axles to five lug. He then narrowed the rearend to tuck the 26-inch Intro wheels into the bedsides.

Keeping the interior simple and functional was Jake’s main goal. A set of seat covers and painted plastics was exactly what it needed.

Keeping the interior simple and functional was Jake’s main goal. A set of seat covers and painted plastics was exactly what it needed.

A subtle yet vibrant graphic was applied by Cole Stevens to help the Silverado stand out amongst the competition of other 2014 GM trucks.

A subtle yet vibrant graphic was applied by Cole Stevens to help the Silverado stand out a

While there may not be much going on under the hood, Jake did have to raise the engine three inches and notch the oil pan to clear the new GM electronic steering motor.

While there may not be much going on under the hood, Jake did have to raise the engine thr

The next step for Jake’s soon-to-be masterpiece was paint and body, so he dropped the truck off at Charles Degand Designs. The first things to go were the factory plastic pieces, which included the bed caps, tailgate cap, and rock guards. Then the bed floor was raised 12 inches, and the factory rear bumper with integrated step was swapped out for a cleaner 2013 version. The front and rear bumpers, air dam, headlights, handles, and mirrors were then all color matched. Next, the truck was covered top to bottom in DuPont Red Hot Meltdown paint. Cole Stevens then stepped in and applied a graphic to the lower half of the doors. To finish off the exterior, T-Rex billet grilles were added to the front. Finally the truck was ready for the interior makeover.

Wanting to stick with a luxurious yet functional interior, Jake had Curt Enochs eliminate the factory headrests and wrap the seats in black leather and suede Katzkin seat covers. He then paint-matched all of the interior plastics red. A factory-fit Kicker subwoofer was installed under the rear bench and a 4.1 Kicker amp helps boost power to the door speakers.

After just 33 days, Jake had the first body-dropped 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and for a shakedown drive, Jake drove it out to Las Vegas for the SEMA show. When talking to him about the build, he said his favorite mod on the truck is the body drop, but it’s also his least favorite mod. It doesn’t matter though; he just wants to drive it every day. Jake wanted to thank all the sponsors and shops that helped out on the build, as well as his amazing wife Keri and beautiful daughter Kaylee for their love and support.